Italy. One of the most beautiful countries in the world. Italy is a country shaped like a boot with a little island being kicked by that boot. The boot is Northern Italy and that little island being kicked around like a soccer ball is Sicily. My family is from Sicily and my whole life I had this thought burned into my head that Sicily is superior to Northern Italy. Northern Italy and Sicily do not exactly have the best relationship, but is one really superior to the other? Personally I believe that they are both absolutely amazing places with totally different cultures. As Northern Italy is much more technologically advanced than Sicily and may even be considered living further in the future than Sicily, it can be argued that Sicily is more authentic than Northern Italy. It can also be argued that Sicily is living too much in the past compared to Northern Italy. So, what's so different about Sicily compared to Northern Italy?

      Growing up I spent multiple summers in Sicily visiting family and friends and learning more about my culture and family. My family is from a small town called Marineo in Sicily, Italy. The very first time I ever went to Marineo I was extremely young and remember being so excited to meet all of my extended family who were born and raised there. When my family travels to Sicily we are constantly stopped in the street by people exclaiming how we are family and it's been so long since they’ve seen us and every time I am certain I have never met any of these people in my entire life no matter how many times I go back. Although Marineo is extremely small and not very wealthy, everyone is extremely kind and welcoming and it is such a beautiful town. Two of my favorite places in Marineo are the La Rocca Bianca Pizzeria and the Ristorant Pizzeria al Castello, along with my family's homes of course. The La Rocca Bianca Pizzeria is a small Pizzeria in Marineo where my family and I eat on the days when we are not being fed twenty course meals by our family. My very favorite restaurant in all of Marineo is the Ristorant Pizzeria al Castello. It got its name because it is directly next to the only castle in all of Marineo and is a beautiful restaurant with many artifacts to showcase the beautiful castle. My first memory of this restaurant is when our family took us there for a “small family gathering” which ended up being filled with over one-hundred family members, complete with a cake welcoming us home. Marineo is by far one of the most comfortable, beautiful, welcoming towns in the whole world.

      Although Marineo is my favorite place in all of Sicily, there are so many places on the island that are absolutely enticing, another one of my favorites being Caltagirone. I stayed in Caltagirone in 2015 and it was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been in my entire life. During our stay we visited The ruins at Agrigento. To get to the ruins you have to hike up a large hill which, although tiring, is so worth the wait. Along with the mesmerizing ruins with columns so large it makes you feel like an ant, you can oversee the entire city of Caltagirone making it feel like you are on top of the world. The ruins at Agrigento aren't the only ancient ruins in Caltagirone, there are also the ruins and mosaics of the Villa Romana Del Casale which not only showcases amazing ancient architecture but also showcases ancient art that is so beautiful it stole all of the breath from my lungs. I feel so lucky to have been able to spend my ninth birthday at a breathtaking villa in Caltagirone with my siblings, parents, Nonno and Nonna. The Villa we stayed at was atop of a gigantic hill overlooking miles and miles of lemon trees that we picked each morning. One of Caltagerone’s most famous attractions is the La Scala. The La Scala is a four-hundred-thirty foot long staircase leading up to the church of Santa Maria del Monte. Caltagirone is also filled with beautiful shows of artwork, one of my favorite places being an art gallery inside of a church. Although all of Caltagirone is absolutely amazing, the most breathtaking place in my opinion is the Alcantara Gorge. The Alcantara Gorge is located on the slopes of the volcano Mt.Etna, which is still active to this day. It was a beautiful river surrounded by waterfalls and gigantic cliffs. You have to take an elevator to get to the bottom and it is often overlooked by tourists even though it is one of the most breathtaking places in all of Sicily and is located on one of Sicily’s most famous attractions, Mt.Etna. Mt.Etna is a gigantic active volcano in the heart of Sicily, which me and my family were lucky enough to visit more than once and even take a walking tour of the volcano. You can also rent coats and take a ski lift to the top of the volcano. Caltagirone is such an amazing place filled with once in a lifetime experiences.

      One of the most beautiful cities is Palermo, the capital city of Sicily. The Domina Coral Bay Hotel and Resort - Sicilia Zagarella is an absolutely amazing resort in Palermo that I definitely recommend staying at. While in Palermo there are many attractions to go and visit like the feast of St.Rosalia and the Piazza Della Vergogna. I love visiting Palermo because I get to see my cousins Salvo, Sylvana, Federica, Marina, and Graziella. Palermo is a great place to start when visiting Sicily since it is the capital city filled with beautiful antique shops, churches and fantastic restaurants and beaches. The beaches in Palermo are some of my favorites in the world due to their incredibly soft sand, gorgeous blue water and fascinating coral reefs. Some less known gems of Sicily include the Brucoli Village and Ragusa Ibla, which has 100 churches. Overall, Sicily is one of the most entracing places to visit and is full of famous attractions and smaller, but just as beautiful attractions wherever you go.

      For my entire life the only place in Italy I had ever visited was Sicily, until 2019 when my family took a trip to Northern Italy. We began our trip in one of the most famous cities in the world, Rome (Roma) in April of 2019. We visited so many places including the Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Vatican Museums, Vatican City, the Imperial Forum and the Roman Forum, The Colosseum, Piazza del Colosseo, and the Palatine Hill. Rome is known for its ancient architecture and ruins. Visiting the Colosseum was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. When visiting the Colosseum, you can sit up in the stands and watch as people act out the fights that took place in ancient Rome. There are famous artifacts everywhere you look and amazing views of the city. The Piazza Navona is a plaza filled with coffee shops, and stores and in the center there is one of the most beautiful fountains I have ever seen. One of Rome’s more famous landmarks, the Pantheon is even more beautiful on the inside than the outside. It feels like a dream walking into the Pantheon and seeing all the marble and gold surrounding you along with the most breathtaking dome ceilings in all of Rome. If you have been to Rome you know that there are enchanting fountains all over the city, one of my favorites being the Trevi Fountain. There are honestly no words to do justice to the beauty of this monument, it’s simply magnificent. Everything in Rome from the ancient monuments and ruins to the authentic restaurants and little antique shops on every corner is absolutely amazing and I can say with one-hundred percent certainty that the city of Rome absolutely deserves all of the praise that it gets.

      Another famous Northern Italian city is Florence (Firenze). Florence is known for its Renaissance art and architecture along with its culture and monuments. On a day trip to Florence, my family and I visited the Uffizi Gallery, the Ponte Vecchio, Basilica of Santa Croce, San Niccolo, and the Palazzo Vecchio. One of the most different things about Sicily and Northern Italy for me was the amount of family we saw. While in Sicily we were always surrounded by tons and tons of family, but while in Northern Italy, we only saw one family member while in Florence. My mothers cousin Franco Fragale came to see us from Milan (Milano). I do wish that we had made a stop in Milan since it is the fashion capital of Italy. While visiting a museum in Florence, we came across a painting of a woman named Francesca Romana Mainieri which is an extremely popular name among our family. Florence is a magnificent city filled with beautiful works of art in not only the galleries and museums but also in the architecture. After our day trip to Florence we took a train to my favorite city of the entire vacation, Venice. Venice is a city with absolutely no roads, only water canals and walking pathways. There are no cars in Venice and the only forms of transportation are by gondolas which are a kind of small row boat or by foot. One of the most interesting parts of Venice was the fact that there were some buildings where the only entrances were directly off the water, no doorstep or stairs, simply a door right on top of the water. While in Venice we visited St.Mark's Clock tower, Piazza San Marco, Basilica San Marco, the Bridge of Sighs and Palazzo Ducale, Rio dei Mendicanti, corte Seconda Del Milion Home of Marco Polo, the Grand Canal and the Church of Santa Maria della Salute. My favorite spot in Venice was the Corte Seconda Del Milion Home of Marco Polo because it was such an odd experience to visit where the Marco Polo lived. We took walking and gondola tours of the floating city getting insider commentary from our tour guides. Everyone in the city is so friendly and kind making sure all tourists get the full Venice experience. From Venice we even took a day trip to the New Murano Gallery which is known for their magnificent glass sculptures. There we got little glass trinkets for me and my siblings while my parents picked out two chandeliers to hang in our house back home in New Jersey. While visiting the New Murano Gallery you also get to watch them make the sculptures out of glass which is absolutely mesmerizing and truly a once in a lifetime experience. Overall these little day trips were absolutely worth the long train and boat rides.

      To conclude, although I will always have a special connection with the island of Sicily, I do not think that it is superior to Northern Italy. I strongly believe that they are both equal and whichever one you like more depends completely one your own preference. Italy is such an enchanting place to visit and has something for everyone. I feel so lucky to be a part of such an amazing culture with such a kind family. Wherever you choose to go in Italy, I can assure you that you will not be disappointed. There is such fascinating culture in all parts of Italy, it is impossible to pick one place over another. So, contrary to many members of my family's beliefs, Northern Italy is just as awesome as Sicily and no part of Italy is “superior” to another.